Could a Conservative Boycott Hurt the New GM?

Now that we the taxpayers are set to own 60% of GM when it emerges from bankruptcy, far-right conservatives have called upon people to boycott what they call “Government Motors.”

Among them are radio talk show hosts like Hugh Hewitt, who said that “every dollar spent with GM is a dollar spent against free enterprise.” Rush Limbaugh has backed off a bit from initial calls for a brand shutout, but that hasn’t stopped his vitriolic attacks against the U.S. automaker.

Could a boycott actually work? No one seems to think so. It’s easy to see how President Barack Obama’s action could get a conservative’s blood boiling, but people buy cars for economic reasons, or for a car’s quality or status. Otherwise, “buy American” should have worked all those years ago, right?

There’s also the possibility that right-wing venom could make car buyers on the coasts more sympathetic to GM products. Right now, GM sells very poorly in those two regions, especially in major markets like California and New York, where voters tend to do the exact opposite of what people like Hewitt and Limbaugh tell them.

What do you think? Could a boycott affect GM’s future? Would you ever consider joining a boycott of a car company? Let us know in the comments.